Opportunity Information: Apply for F15AS00015
Apply for F15AS00015
- The Fish and Wildlife Service in the community development environment information and statistics science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Create Discover Nature Apps" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.608 Fish and Wildlife Management Assistance.
- This funding opportunity was created on Nov 4, 2014 and posted on Nov 4, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 11, 2014. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $81,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $81,111.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
- The recipient has been selected. Please refer to attached Notice of Intent to Award for selection criteria.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Create Discover Nature Apps grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F15AS00015) was a Fish and Wildlife Service cooperative agreement intended to support the development of a GPS-directed, game-based mobile app for the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex. The central goal was to give visitors an interactive interpretive experience that is both educational and entertaining while they are physically on-site. Rather than functioning as a static guide, the app was envisioned as a GPS-driven experience where users move through refuge areas and engage with content tied to specific locations, making the visit feel more like a guided exploration or scavenger-hunt style game than a traditional brochure or audio tour.
A major purpose of the app was public education and interpretation. The content was expected to teach users about local wildlife, habitats, and natural systems, along with the human and cultural history connected to the refuge and the Living Coast Discovery Center. The emphasis on interpretation suggests the app would translate on-the-ground observations into clear, engaging explanations, helping visitors understand what they are seeing and why it matters, including broader ecological relationships and conservation themes that are central to refuge missions.
The opportunity also aimed to build community engagement and repeat participation through social and user-generated features. The app was expected to let users share field tips, post photos, and participate in a wildlife photo contest. To reinforce exploration and learning, users could earn virtual badges, a common gamification tool that rewards completing activities, visiting locations, identifying species, or finishing themed challenges. The overall design direction points to an experience that encourages people to slow down, look closer, and interact with the landscape while also creating a record of their visit through photos and contributions.
Accessibility and audience reach were explicit requirements. The app was to be available in both English and Spanish, reflecting an intent to serve a broader segment of the visiting public and reduce language barriers. In addition, the app was expected to connect with a public-facing website where photos could be uploaded, implying a companion online hub for managing submissions, showcasing contest entries, and extending engagement beyond the visit itself.
Administratively, this was a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement, meaning the federal agency typically expects to have substantial involvement during the project (for example, coordinating on content, review, deliverables, or public-facing interpretation standards). It was categorized under several activity areas including community development, environment, information and statistics, and science and technology/research and development, which aligns with a project that combines environmental education, visitor services, data or media sharing, and software development.
The funding profile indicated a single expected award, with an estimated total funding amount of about $81,000 and an award ceiling listed at $81,111 (award floor $100). There was no cost-sharing or matching requirement stated. The opportunity was posted on November 4, 2014, with an original and current closing date of November 11, 2014, and an archive date of November 12, 2014, reflecting a very short application window. Eligibility was described as unrestricted in general, but the listing also notes that the recipient had already been selected and directs readers to a Notice of Intent to Award for selection criteria, indicating the competitive phase was effectively over by the time the notice was being referenced.
For reference and access to the original posting and related materials, the listing pointed applicants to Grants.gov, and provided a contact at the Fish and Wildlife Service: Deetta Gibbons (760-930-0168, deettagibbons@fws.gov) for help accessing the full announcement electronically.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Create Discover Nature Apps grant opportunity?
The Create Discover Nature Apps grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F15AS00015) was a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) cooperative agreement intended to support development of a GPS-directed, game-based mobile app for the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex.
What was the main goal of the funded project?
The central goal was to give visitors an interactive interpretive experience that is both educational and entertaining while they are physically on-site at the refuge. The app was envisioned as an on-the-ground experience rather than a static guide.
What kind of mobile app was the opportunity seeking to develop?
The opportunity focused on a GPS-driven, game-based app where users move through refuge areas and engage with content tied to specific locations. The experience was intended to feel more like guided exploration or a scavenger-hunt style game than a traditional brochure-style app or audio tour.
How was GPS expected to be used in the app?
GPS was expected to direct the visitor experience by triggering or unlocking location-based content and activities as users move through areas of the refuge, linking interpretation and engagement to specific on-site places.
What types of educational content were expected in the app?
The app content was expected to teach users about local wildlife, habitats, and natural systems, as well as the human and cultural history connected to the refuge and the Living Coast Discovery Center.
What does "interpretation" mean in the context of this opportunity?
Interpretation, as described, emphasized translating on-the-ground observations into clear, engaging explanations to help visitors understand what they are seeing, why it matters, and how it connects to broader ecological relationships and conservation themes central to refuge missions.
Was the app intended to be a static guide or something more interactive?
It was specifically framed as more than a static guide. The design direction emphasized an interactive, GPS-driven experience that encourages active exploration and engagement during an on-site visit.
What community or social engagement features were expected?
The app was expected to support community engagement and repeat participation through features that allow users to share field tips, post photos, and participate in a wildlife photo contest.
Were user-generated content features part of the plan?
Yes. The opportunity described user-generated elements such as sharing field tips and posting photos, along with participation in a photo contest.
What gamification elements were mentioned?
The app was expected to include virtual badges to reinforce exploration and learning. Badges were described as rewards for completing activities such as visiting locations, identifying species, or finishing themed challenges.
How was the experience expected to affect visitor behavior on-site?
The overall design direction pointed to an experience that encourages people to slow down, look closer, and interact with the landscape, while also creating a record of their visit through photos and contributions.
Were there language accessibility requirements?
Yes. The app was expected to be available in both English and Spanish to serve a broader segment of the public and reduce language barriers.
Was a website component mentioned as part of the project?
Yes. The app was expected to connect with a public-facing website where photos could be uploaded, implying a companion online hub for managing submissions, showcasing contest entries, and extending engagement beyond the visit itself.
What type of federal award was this?
This was a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement.
What does it mean that this was a cooperative agreement?
A cooperative agreement typically means the federal agency expects substantial involvement during the project, such as coordination on content, review, deliverables, or public-facing interpretation standards.
Which agency offered this funding opportunity?
The opportunity was offered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).
What were the listed activity areas or categories for this opportunity?
The opportunity was categorized under community development, environment, information and statistics, and science and technology/research and development, aligning with a project combining environmental education, visitor services, data or media sharing, and software development.
How much funding was available?
The estimated total funding amount was about $81,000, with an award ceiling listed at $81,111. The award floor was listed as $100.
How many awards were expected?
The funding profile indicated a single expected award.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No cost-sharing or matching requirement was stated for this opportunity.
When was the opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on November 4, 2014.
What was the application deadline?
The original and current closing date listed was November 11, 2014.
When was the opportunity archived?
The archive date was November 12, 2014.
How long was the application window?
Based on the posted date (November 4, 2014) and the closing date (November 11, 2014), the application window reflected a very short timeframe.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was described as unrestricted in general. However, the listing also noted that the recipient had already been selected and directed readers to a Notice of Intent to Award for selection criteria.
Was the opportunity still open or competitive at the time described?
The listing indicated that the recipient had already been selected, suggesting the competitive phase was effectively over by the time the notice was being referenced.
Where could applicants find the original posting and related materials?
The listing directed applicants to Grants.gov for the original posting and related materials.
Who was the point of contact for questions or access to the announcement?
The Fish and Wildlife Service contact listed was Deetta Gibbons (760-930-0168, deettagibbons@fws.gov) for help accessing the full announcement electronically.
What site or partner location was mentioned alongside the refuge?
The opportunity referenced human and cultural history connected to the refuge and the Living Coast Discovery Center as part of the content expectations.
What was the intended setting for using the app?
The app was designed for visitors to use while physically on-site at the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex, with content tied to specific locations within refuge areas.
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